deep thoughts from a potty-training toddler

Jack has been busy figuring out that whole new use-the-potty concept lately. And he's been doing really well-- as long as he's stark naked. Put some undies or pants on that kid, and we're guaranteed an accident. {i usually try to have him at least start the day with a tee shirt on, but that never lasts long}

So, he's been spending a lot of time in his birthday suit. I'm not too bothered by this, as Daniel potty-trained the same way and eventually figured things out and now even wears clothes most of the time. Really, I should give the Dan Man some credit. He wears clothes all of the time. I can hardly get him to take them off to bathe.{What is it with 5 and 6 year-olds and a crazy aversion to bathing? Seriously!}

Anyways, back to Jack. All of his naked time has given him lots of time to ponder his {ahem} anatomy. And notice who else in the family shares the same plumbing and who doesn't, to put it delicately.

The other day, he told me that I should go to the store and buy a {read between the lines and use your euphemism of choice here}. The kid must be worried that I feel left out or something. He's so thoughtful.

It's a Stella-bration

I know it's cliche to go on about how I don't know where the time has gone.  But really, I have no idea where the time has gone.

A whole entire year of Stella has flashed by in the blink of an eye.




She went from this snuggly little bundle of love...

2 weeks

... to a lovely little lady...

9 months

 ... to a birthday cake eating machine.

 
Stella was a bit baffled by the birthday festivities. She enjoyed the streamers and balloons and endless singing of Happy Birthday (from her brothers), but she enjoyed it all with a look of amused bewilderment. She did, however, show zero signs of confusion when it came to the cake. She LOVES herself some chocolate cake with caramel icing.

Especially the icing. A girl after my own heart.

Happy Birthday ShtellyWelly! May the next year of your life be as delightful as the first.

for the quote board

I'm about to post something pretty funny from Lincoln, but he's reached the age of self-consciousness and embarrassment so you can only continue reading if you promise not to mention this to him. Deal? Okay.

Tonight Lincoln told me this:

"I'm not going to have very much time to play anymore, because I really need to start studying a lot. Like all day long. I'm going to research what makes old people shrink so that I can build a miniaturizing machine to shrink my hotwheels even tinier."

He's got Big Plans. Big Plans, I say.

telling answers

Joe loves to tell the kids that they're cool, and he's realized that they each always give their very own unique reply-- the very same replies they've given since they first started to talk well. We think you can read a lot about each of their personalities in their answers.

Joe: Lincoln, you're cool.
Lincoln: You're cool Dad.
(daddy-worshiper)

Joe: Daniel, you're cool.
Daniel: Thank you Daddy. (said with much emotion)
(grateful and sensitive)

Joe: Jack, you're cool.
Jack: Yeth (yes), I know.
(extremely self-confident)

I wonder how Stella will respond?

for the quote board

Jack dictated the following letter to Kaley (his missionary Aunt):

Dear Dadee (Kaley),

I pee in da potty. I have bwoo (blue) Thomas unwheah (underwear). I get diddows (skittles) when I pee in da potty. I get wed (red) and geen (green). I go in da baffwoom (bathroom).  I'm 2. I'm Dack (Jack). I wuff (love) you.

a very hadfield halloween

We're just a teensy bit obsessed with Star Wars this year. Our cast of characters:

Stella: Princess Leia
Jack: Yoda (or Massa Woda, as he likes to say)
Daniel: Luke Skywalker
Lincoln: a Stormtrooper (would you belive me if I told you that helmet was made from two plastic milk jugs?)
Steph: Jengo Fett (sp?) {I actually have no idea who this is-- borrowed costume}
Joe: Darth Vader

Halloween was a blast and now we can't wait for The Big Holidays that are just around the corner (including Stella's 1st birthday-- WHAT?!!)

burden of proof

Tonight Daniel chose to share the following trivia with Mom:

Mom, did you know that porcupines consider sticks to be a tasty treat?


Really?


Yeah, and did you know that I'm a porcupine? And just to prove it, I'm eating this pencil.




Upon which Daniel showed her this:

has it been NINE years already?

Whoa.

I can't believe it's been already been 9 years since I got hitched to this guy. 

I guess time flies when you're having fun...

At the same time, I can't believe it's been only 9 years since we got hitched.  I feel like I've known him forever. Like I've loved him forever.

Happy Anniversary, Mr. Hadfield. May the next 9 years be even better!!

hoosiers at heart

So...

...we took ourselves on a little vacation. All the way to Indiana (and back). We were a little nervous about the 52+ hours we'd spend in the van over the course of two weeks, but our worries were completely unfounded. Our travel was safe and uneventful, we made great time, and the kids were champion travelers.

Good times were had by all.

We took a few random pictures, which you'll see here-- in no particular order (chronological or otherwise). Because I'm lazy like that.

  

Lincoln and Daniel at the Indianapolis Children's Museum, channeling their inner race car driver

 North Platte, Nebraska: Jack's usual motel sleeping arrangement

Jack hesitantly touches an elephant at the Indianapolis Zoo

Stella being adorable at the Children's Museum

 

Jack and Stephanie checking out the beautiful Chihuly glass exhibit at the Children's Museum

(and Stella sneaking in a nap)

Lincoln wrestling a Nile Crocodile at the Indianapolis Children's Museum

Jack making his very own "glass" sculpture, in the style of Chihuly

Lincoln and Daniel taking rock climbing lessons at the Children's Museum

 

Daniel

 

 4 generations: Donna Lou Bolinger, Jan Weight, Stephanie Hadfield, Stella Hadfield

The boys in North Platte, NE, at the World's Largest Train Yard

 

Just after the Salamonie Days parade in downtown Warren, IN. Our niece/cousin Amy tries out one of the crazy double decker bikes that were in the parade. 

We're related to approximately 73.4% of the other people in this picture.

Another multigenerational photo: the kids with Grandma Jan and Grandpa Mark 

and Great-Grandma Lou

More of the crew after riding the carousel at the Children's Museum. Left to right: Joe, Jack, Lincoln, Jed (Steph's cousin), Alissa (Steph's sister), Steph, Stella, Ben (Steph's brother), Daniel, Grandma Lou

 

4th of July at Grandma Jan's and Grandpa Mark's:

"Look Ma, no hands!"

 

random video from the road

 

Daniel and Joe celebrating the 4th, or maybe 5th of July with Grandpa Mark's crazy sparklers

the latest on Stella

 Stella is now 6 1/2 months old and just as delightful as ever. She always has a big grin ready for anybody who'll glance her way. Daniel is particularly good at getting her to laugh and giggle.

She can sit on her own now, and grabs at everything within reach. Gone are the days of reading or knitting while I nursed her, unless I want pages torn out of my books or a tangle of baby and yarn. She's a great sleeper, usually sleeping from 7:00 to 11:00, when she wakes up to nurse before we go to bed, and then going strong until 7:00 or 8:00 in the morning; and napping 4 solid hours during the day.

She got her first tooth two weeks ago, and seems like she might be adding another one soon (lots of drooling and gnawing, and a chronic runny nose). We've been having a go at solid foods, which she seems to enjoy as long as we keep both of her hands busy with a couple of spoons for her to hold.

She sits on her own now for short periods of time, and loves to push up with her arms when she lays on her tummy. She's been toying with the idea of pushing up onto her knees too, but usually just ends up high-centered on her belly.

She is very much our little miss sunshine.

Respectably chunky

 

 Mama's sweet pea-in-a-pod. The baby sling is a life-saver.

Sitting Pretty

Smile!

the latest on Jack

 Jack is the lover in our family. He's almost always ready to dole out snuggles and loves and absolutely cannot go to sleep at nap time and at bed time until he's given kisses to every single person in the house-- even if we've got non-family-members visiting. He loves Stella a lot. Sometimes too much; I've got to keep a careful eye on him around her or I'm likely to find him smothering her with hugs or covering her face with his blankie, which he so generously wants her to snuggle.

He's also an incredibly tidy child. He actually enjoys wiping up spills, putting away toys, starting loads of laundry, vacuuming, etc. etc. I can keep him busy while I'm making dinner if I ask him to stand on his step stool and wash the dishes. Heaven forbid if we forget to put away a book or toy before nap time or bed time-- he won't sleep until it's put away.

Speaking of sleep... Jack recently made the big switch from the crib to the toddler bed. He's been in it a couple of months now, but he still calls it his "New, new bed". I was worried that we'd have to give up naptime when he left the crib, he did surprisingly well at making the transition. I find it highly ironic that my most difficult baby sleeper has turned out to be my most reliable toddler sleeper. 

He's slowly but surely learning to talk; adding a couple new words to his vocabulary every day. He's very much a two-year old though, as his favorite word is "NO".  He pronounces the 's' at the end of words funny: like a "fff" sound, except made by sucking air in instead of blowing it out.

snuggling with Stella

Smile!

Two of his favorite things: Dad and a Good Story

the latest on Daniel

Daniel just "unofficially" finished a year of kindergarten with Lincoln. He wasn't actually enrolled in kindergarten last year, since he didn't turn 5 until January, but he sat in on all of Lincoln's lessons and by the end of the year was performing very well in every subject. Lincoln's teacher tested him for us and agreed that it would be best if he skips kindergarten and starts 1st grade with Lincoln in the Fall. He's really excited to be a first grader and get his very own shipment of school materials when school starts.


Daniel loves to read; he's always reading labels and signs and feels very proud to sit down and read books to Jack and Stella. He even has a go at a page of Harry Potter now and then. We've been reading the Harry Potter books at bedtime and are just a couple of chapters shy of finishing the 4th book. Daniel loves nothing more than pretending he's part of the story. I can get him to do just about anything (folding laundry, cleaning the bathroom, etc.) if I can weave it into a Harry Potter plot.

He's taking summer swimming lessons through the city rec department. On the first day of lessons, he woke up at 6:30, put on his bathing suit, and came to try to drag us out of bed and get to class (which didn't start until 10:30). The next 4 hours dragged by for him, but he was probably the happiest kid there when it was time to get into the water. He loves every minute of class.

Here's looking at you, kid

Hanging out with Stella-Wella-Wacka-Bella-Boxing-Blue (his nickname for her)

at Canyonlands National Park in May

the latest on Lincoln

Lincoln just finished up a great year of homeschool kindergarten. We did it with the help of Utah Virtual Academy-- a charter school that provides curriculum and support to homeschool families.  He did well in both math and reading, but math is his favorite subject.

We celebrated the end of the school year by having a mom and Lincoln date to The Quarry, our local rock climbing gym. His favorite part was rappelling back down after he'd climbed about 15 feet, and then doing it all over again. He's already planning on going back to celebrate the first day of first grade.

He's spending his summer days playing outside as much as possible: watching our two hens {Sally and Penny} peck in the dirt, riding bikes, playing ball and playing elaborate imagination games with the neighborhood kids.

He's also enrolled in a summer art class offered through the city rec department. It's been lots of fun to see what he comes home with each day.

 self-portrait by Lincoln

 fisherboy

With Daniel at Canyonlands National Park in May

in like a lion out like a lamb?

Hey! Isn't March supposed to start being balmy and lovely towards the end? Then what was up with yesterday's snow storm?

Whatev.

All I can say is I'm more than ready for April and warm weather.

Anywho, here are a few random bits about us from the past month:

Jack turned 2. It was a pretty low key birthday. He actually got his present (a basketball hoop) a month early (yes, we're pushovers). So on the big day he got a living room full of balloons and a roll of bubble wrap.

Never underestimate the awesomeness of bubble wrap.

the birthday boy

Jack is a crazy awesome delightful addition to our family. He's always good for a snuggle and a smile. We still get the occasional temper tantrum-- but that just means he's normal, right?

the boy's got a thing for frozen blueberries

He's also slightly obsessed with sports. Have we mentioned that before?

Stella is almost completely over her case of RSV, thank goodness. She is 100% delightful. People are constantly asking us, "Is she always this happy?"

Yes. Yes she is.

well, she's smiling on the inside. (trust me)

Lincoln started and finished a great basketball season. He learned a lot over the course of his 8 games. Like how to stay with the ball and his team, instead of just chasing around the guy he was supposed to guard (even when his team had the ball).

Go #34!!

We've been on a baking kick lately:

when was the last time you used a dozen eggs in one recipe?

For us, it's been the two times this past month that we've made this monster recipe. (stay tuned for our adjustments) We get fresh hot bran muffins for breakfast every morning and the batter stays good for weeks in the refrigerator! (although it never lasts that long).

giant vat 'o batter

Joe and I managed to get out on a date last night despite the fact that our live-in-babysitter is gone on a mission.

BYU holds an annual alumni ball; I've never seen so many grandmas in prom dresses. It was awesome. Next year, we're totally going all the way with the black tie thing.

Anyways, we started with dinner at the Bombay House with Joe's best friend from high school and his sweet wife (who just happens to be 7 months pregnant-- yes, we talked birth the entire time). Then it was on to the party for dance lessons, root beer floats, a fabulous live band, and a photobooth (which I confess was my favorite part). We also ran into the parents of friends of ours from high school, the Christensens. They lived in Brigham City before they moved to Spanish Fork, so they knew both of us before we got married. Weird.


Maybe you've realized that there are no pictures of Daniel in this post. It's not that he's disappeared or that we don't love him. The truth is simply this: he's spent most of the past month pretending to be Ronald Weasley (we're on Harry Potter book 3) and has not been interested at all in posing for muggle cameras.

us today

We broke in the fire pit for family night tonight. The verdict: money very well spent.

Daniel enjoying a s'more. (and being cold)

Lincoln, and the newest hole in his mouth. He lost the tooth last night and decided once again, not to sell it to the Tooth Fairy.
(the way he talks now is just too cute to be believed)

Jack, as charming as ever. He got hit with a nasty cold this weekend,
but I think he's on the mend.
His latest funny: His standard banana knock-knock joke, but if you don't laugh hard enough at the end, he'll look at you very seriously and say, "Joke."

And last, but not least, Sweet Stella. She weighed in at 18.5 lbs at her Doctor's appointment last week. The boys are all immensely proud of her chub and kept going on and on about their fat baby at the appointment. The nurse must have been sensitive about that issue, because she kept insisting that Stella was not fat; she was "just perfect."

I think they're all right. Stella's incredibly fat, and that's just perfect.

Daniel did a sweet thing last Saturday. It was his turn-out with Joe and he decided that he wanted to use it to plan a party for the family. They bought balloons and candy and flowers for Stella and I (my tulips are yellow, Stella's are pink). When they got home, we all decorated together, ate our treats, had a dance party, and took turns playing bubble breaker on Joe's cell phone. Daniel declared it Saturday Holiday. It was a great day, indeed.